Bringing a new dining experience to the South Bay
featuring Modern Industrial Architecture with food to match
We are excited to bring yet another concept restaurant to the rapidly shifting dining landscape of the South Bay. With over a dozen new restaurants launched just this year alone and another several in planning, the South Bay is quickly becoming a destination for discerning diners and shifting to a chef-driven dining environment.
We created the menu and opened the kitchen for the incredibly popular Hook & Plow restaurant on upper Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and have a concept in mind for the South Bay that we are confident will be equally as popular. Our food at the Hook & Plow had garnered an elusive 4-1/5 star Yelp rating as of fall 2014, something that only a couple of restaurants in Manhattan Beach have accomplished.
Conjuring up an appropriate name for a successful restaurant is a very particular process: one needs to not only derive a name that will be memorable to customers, but that also sustains significant meaning. In order to provide tribute to our father, we came up with the name “The Bridge”, primarily because one of his legacies and accomplishments was building The Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, where as it so happens, he proposed to our mother.
Our concept is to create an atmosphere with a modern industrial feel and a menu that infuses global highlights with cosmopolitan classics.
This restaurant will blow the South Bay Away!
Concept and Décor
Originally from Southern California, award winning chef, Johnny Lopez, was lured into the culinary world through his environment. His passion for food was recognized at an early age from his family. He larded to develop his own unique style and flair through 25 years of being in the restaurant industry. He started at the ripe age of 15 and never looked back.
Johnny’s culinary philosophy and passion reflects the growing trend towards a healthier farm-to-table and down-to-earth lifestyle. He enjoys working with local farmers to seek out the finest in local and regional organic produce, sustainable seafood, and sources the highest quality and humanely treated meats and poultry. Johnny’s preference is to allow the natural flavors of the food to express themselves through many layers of taste, color, and textures.
Over the years, Johnny has worked under influential leaders in the culinary world who helped shape his style and depth of knowledge. After years of working in different restaurants and moving up through the ranks, he eventually moved to Hawaii where he spent the next 15 years advancing his culinary vision. After many adventures in the islands, he was appointed Executive Chef at Nick’s Fishmarket in the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui.
Johnny balances the hard work and long hours of this profession by spending time with his family and friends, and his favorite activity of surfing. He also enjoys growing his own produce and traveling the world in search of new inspiration and culinary knowledge. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and talents and helps to develop younger chefs to discover their own talents in the same way that he was encouraged to do. Johnny believes whole-heartedly in staying active, continuously learning, and always having fun.
Cosmopolitan Cuisine
“Bridging the gap of Global Cuisine”
Starters
Wagu Tarter
Cherry Peppers, Capers, Meyer Lemon with Parmesan Crisp
Oysters On The 1/2 Shell
Cucumber Granita, Gazpacho Mignonette
Lobster Corn Dogs
Served with 3 house dipping sauce
lemon aioli
spicy sake aioli
tamarind house ketchup
Crispy Shaved Brussel Sprouts
Granny Smith Apples, Lardon, Toasted Pepitas
Gnoochi with Roasted Baby Beets
Goat Cheese Gnoochi, Roasted Baby Beets with Sherry Vinaigrette
Greens
Mesclun
Market Herbs, Seasonal Vegetables with Shallot Vinaigrette
Kale
Baby Chard, Spinach, Local Goat Cheese, Feta, Candied Pecans with Lemon Vinaigrette
Green Salad
Little Gem Lettuce, Shaved Carrot, Apple Nut Medley, and Whole Grain Vinaigrette
Land and Sea
Kurobuta Chop
14 oz
Potato stack, broccolini, sake beurre noisette
Delmonico
Hand-cut 20 oz bone-in top loin steak, pink peppercorn, cognac leek reduction
Boat Catch
Hakurei, turnip, hawaiian hearts of palm, house soba noodles, pineapple dashi
Ahi Au Poivre
Crusted fennel, pork belly, cipollini, agrodolce, roasted fingerlings
Jidori Chicken
Celeriac puree, numan ranch bacon aju, sautéed baby greens, saffron onion rings, local honey
Bridging Land & Sea
Grilled big-eye tuna, seared wagu tenderloin, kimchi, asian pear, meyer-soya emulsion, celery branch salad
Small Plates
The Bridge
Chefs Choice
4 tastings from the chef
Charred Spanish Octopus
Arugula, shaved fennel, peach, aged balsamic
Seared Lamb Medallions
Rosemary, cumin, eggplant, tapenade, mint yogurt sauce
Seared Ahi
Green, radish, cucumbers, avocado, asparagus, watermelon, radish, spicy yuzu vinaigrette
Finale
Smoked Smokes
In a jar-house marshmallows, homemade graham, port chocolate pudding
Chocolate Rasberry Lava Cake
with green tea ice cream
Malasades
Tahitian Creme Anglaise, seasonal berry compote
Daily Selection
House sorbet
House pistachio biscotti
As Seen In
We enjoyed the Seafood Chowder, which was full of fresh fish and reminded me of back East. Highly recommend it. We also enjoyed the Salmon small plate as well as the Scallop with Pork Belly as the main entree. Scallops were cooked with perfection… We will most def be back again to try more dishes!Meg F.
The food was delicious and so well priced. I highly suggest the panko crusted avocadoes, fries and 30H pulled pork sandwich.Jenny W.
…how delicious the food was – the BLT, the AMAZING seafood chowder, delicious cheesecake, awesome short rib – all fantastic.Ryan S.
Seriously. So so delicious!! The fries have just the right about truffle oil and spice. The BLT was AHhh-mazing!!!Cassandra G.
…The seafood chowder was amazing; we wish they were selling it by the bowl. The ingredients were fresh and it had a unique twist – a very ‘clean’ taste – for chowder… The Scallops and Pork Belly BLT: The scallops were fresh and plump. Scallop servings were generous. The sauce was quite good.Jace K.
The appetizers here are amazing. The grilled seafood sausage was excellent. The char broiled grilled flavor added to the taste. The baked potato soup with crab and bacon was smooth and tasty. For the entree, I had the opah with clams. The sauce was perfect not too sweet or not too sour. I am a huge fan of opah and never had it cooked so perfect that it was very moist and soft.Marissa H.
The best dinner on the island I’ve had so far. I enjoyed the lobster Mac and cheese but it was presented in a way I’ve never seen before. The lobster was filleted and laid on top of a bed of cheesy Mac and cheese that had small pieces of bacon. Mmm. I also had a very refreshing blueberry mojito. The seafood chowder had shrimp,crab, lobster, corn, and bacon inside which was to die far.Nicci J.
FOOD – try their amazingly fresh fish, with unique and interesting preparations! Full of flavor… The Kahlua Pork Dumplings were AWESOME. Also, the Strawberry Panzini dessert is quite an experience and really special.Olivia A.
Our favorite appetizer was the Filet Mignon Carpaccio Grilled Local Mushroom & Maui Onion Salad with Micro Greens Truffle-Citrus Vinaigrette, Parmigiano-Reggiano. I had the Ahi Oscar which was delicious but my boyfriend’s entree was to die for – Scallop & Pork “Adobo” Seared Diver Scallops, Braised Pork Belly, Creamy Risotto, Wilted Ong Choy, Adobo Sauce. So unique! For dessert…the perfect treat: Strawberries Panzini Ulupalakua Ranch Strawberries Flambéed Tableside with Grand Marnier Served with Hawaiian Brown Sugar, Devonshire Cream & Chocolate Sauce.Jessica K.
For an appetizer, we went with the pork belly potstickers. For dinner, we had the lobster and the mahi mahi. And for dessert, we had the Chocolate Decadence. Everything was fantastic. FANTASTIC!Anjanette M.
…the Rack of Lamb of all dishes was a perfect 10. A nicely portion of meat accompany with Moloka’i Sweet Potatoes, Crispy Goat Cheese, Maui Pineapple Jam & Jalapeno-Mint Vinaigrette. Extraordinaire!Amie P.
We had such a hard time picking our meal last night! So many more delicious apps, sides, entrees, desserts, and drinks to try! Can’t wait to go back!Sarah K.
Food was DELICIOUS (I had ahi salad and French dip and everyone else loved their food too, including 4 kids!)Audrey F.
…We love anything farm to table because the food is so fresh. They had a limited menu but wow the food was amazing! We had the ahi tuna poke and the seafood chowder. I’m not a chowder fan but I couldn’t stop eating this. For entrees we had the beef au jus sandwich and the scallop & pork belly blt. Everything was delicious and we cannot wait to try more! We even got dessert – coffee crime brûlée. Unbelievably good.Amy C.
The Clam Chowder was great, the Rib Eye SUPERB, (as good as Mastros for a great price!), the Tuna Tartare was very fresh and the Goat Cheese Cheesecake and the Coffee Creme Brulee rocked! I had the remainder of the 2 desserts the next day and I was needing (and wanting) MORE!Robert G.
We had the California club and a 30h sandwich (pulled pork) with a side of regular fries. Food was delicious and worth the wait.Lovin G.
We had the smoked seafood dip special which was really good as well as the clam chowder. The Panko crusted avocado was my favorite starter though! The beef dip sandwich was so yummy, the au jus was perfect and the meat was so moist and tender.Samantha F.
What we had: Seafood chowder (really really good – wish there was more in the serving), a club sandwich (can’t remember the name, but hubby liked it), parmesan french fries. And lastly for dessert which was THE BOMB – Smog City Coffee Porter Creme Brulee!Diane G.
…I had the scallops and pork belly – it was so good & the presentation was amazing! The seafood chowder was really really good, Ive been craving it ever since!… I’ll be heading back there soon!Suzanne D.
My wife and I ate their this weekend and will certainly be going back. She had the club (I stole a bite and it was tasty), the fries were delicious as were their two house dipping sauces, but my burger won the night. Not sure what they add to the bacon relish that goes on the burger, but I didn’t think bacon could get any better until I tasted this. Wow.William H.
Our Inspiration
Conjuring up an appropriate name for a restaurant is a very particular process: one needs to not only derive a name that will be memorable to customers, but that also sustains significant meaning.
In order to provide tribute to our father, we came up with the name “The Bridge”, primarily because one of his legacies and accomplishments was building The Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, where as it so happens, he proposed to our mother.
A Family Tradition Continued
Sister and brother, Lisa Lopez Pola and John Lopez (a.k.a. “Chef Johnny”), were born and raised in Palos Verdes. While Lisa has always resided in the South Bay, John left California in order to venture out to the Hawaiian Islands at the age of 21 to pursue his culinary passion. During his time in Hawaii, John worked at several high-end, established restaurants, where he was the apprentice to some of the top chefs on the island.
John’s talents quickly flourished, which yielded him a career as the executive chef at Nick’s Fishmarket in Wailea at the Kea Lani Hotel in Maui for the last nine years. Nick’s (which is one of the most renowned restaurants in Maui) afforded John the opportunity to prepare meals for some of the most exclusive clientele, including many celebrities and even a President of the United States. John moved back to the South Bay summer of 2013 in order to spend more time with family.
Lisa Lopez Pola
Lisa Lopez Pola, co-founder and CEO of RP & Associates, Inc., is an effective leader with proven success in building high-performance teams and leading change in competitive business environments. Lisa is an instrumental force in the growth and profitability of RP & Associates, directing the overall financial planning and accounting practices for the organization, and implementing structure, policies, and procedures for the company as a whole. Under her leadership, RP & Associates has grown from a 2-person operation in a one unit building to a bi-coastal operation that boasts a diverse and creative workforce of over 30 employees.
Lisa facilitated expansion from a single regional product offering into a multi-language, multi-platform suite of product and marketing solutions. In addition, Lisa established effective standardized accounting and operational systems and procedures that transformed a small organization into a high performance customer-oriented company, achieving a compound annual revenue growth from $17 million to $30 million dollars over the last three years.
For 20 years, RP & Associates, Inc. has built a solid reputation for delivering effective and successful products, programs and marketing solutions to powerful companies in diverse industries. As a fully integrated marketing services company and branded product manufacturer, RP & Associates offers a complete spectrum of product marketing services including product design, promotional program development, imprinting, packaging, warehousing, fulfillment and distribution. RP & Associates helps companies achieve their objectives by lowering product procurement costs and increasing revenue through dynamic promotional programs.
